Karate Society

The first mention of the Karate Society was through an advertisement for students to join the society in the McGarel in November 1977, with training taking place in Fyvie Hall, Regent Street on Wednesdays 1.30pm-3.30pm. The society participated in Kei-Shin-Kan karate, which was affiliated to the All Japan Karate-Do Association and the World Karate Federation; it’s history spans over thirty years.

From January 1981, the karate club had been training in taekwondo every Wednesday in the Hailsham room in Regent Street from 1.30pm to 4pm, with a black-belt instructor and member from the English Taekwondo Federation; who was also a black-belt in Japanese Karate. Following this, the society had devised a tournament team with hopes of entering potentially more tournaments later on. Their first tournament match was against Westfield College, University of London. On Sunday 1st February 1981, the society entered 11 fighters into their first ever tournament which was the London International Taekwondo Championships. At the championships, the society won one gold medal, two silver medals and other contestants won third and fourth place. The society also competed in the London area individual championships and in the Universities and Colleges National Team Championships at Southampton University. The society also went on trips to Holland and Germany to compete in championship events.